Meet online MA Graphic Design student Valeri Rangelov
Award-winning book cover designer Valeri Rangelov shares how studying MA Graphic Design online at UAL fits around full-time work and supports his career.
Meet Hoi: MA Graphic Design (Online) student advocating for Deaf awareness
- Written byChloe Bowen
- Published date 11 August 2026
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This blog includes insights and student work examples from a current MA Graphic Design (Online) student at London College of Communication, UAL Online.
Hoi is a part-time MA Graphic Design (Online) student and a Deaf designer with over a decade of industry experience. Having worked in Hong Kong and London, she has built an impressive career working with global brands, including Mother Design, Ennismore and the Imperial London Hotel Group.
Alongside her professional work, Hoi draws on her lived experience as a Deaf designer to inspire a more inclusive global industry. Her work questions able-bodied assumptions within communication and design systems. Hoi's dream is to become a Design Director and raise awareness about disabilities by sharing her story.
We spoke to Hoi about how the course is supporting her career development, her work from Unit 1, and her advocacy for disabilities. Her message to others is this: believe in your ability, your disability does not define your limits.
Hey Hoi! Can you introduce yourself and your creative background?
I started out studying multimedia and digital entertainment. As a Deaf person, I found video editing to be a tool that transcended language – a powerful art form capable of creating mesmerising stories that capture the hearts and minds of an audience. My first taste of the industry was shadowing an Art Director, which gave me an overwhelming sense of excitement that set me on my graphic design career path and led me to where I am now. Many of the skills I developed back then didn't seem like an obvious fit for graphic design, but those early experiences in video editing have pushed me towards more emotionally driven narratives in my work.
Why did you choose to study a Master's?
Studying wasn't part of my original plan. But after feeling that my skills had plateaued and my work was becoming repetitive, I realised I needed to push myself in a new direction. Studying an MA online enables me to advance my creative and academic skills, without having to step back from my full-time job. I hope to become a Design Director and raise awareness about disabilities by sharing my story.
How has your online experience been so far?
The flexibility of 100% self-directed study, with just one hour of online sessions each week, has made it possible to balance studying with full-time work. You can also catch up on recordings if you miss a session. Studying online has also meant connecting with students from all over the world, which has genuinely been inspiring. Getting different perspectives on creative projects from people with such varied backgrounds has been one of the highlights of the course.
I was born profoundly Deaf. My first language is Chinese, with English and Hong Kong Sign Language as my second and third languages, which means BSL is my fourth language. A lot of Deaf students struggle with English, which helps explain why the number of Deaf students in higher education is very low. UAL consistently supports me with flexible adjustments for submissions, access to BSL interpreting and note-takers where needed. This type of support is extra important to disabled students as it helps them access and achieve their goals.
How would you describe your experience in three words?
Curious. Unexpected. Self-managed.
What’s something you care deeply about that shows up in your work?
Interestingly, throughout my career, many of the people I’ve worked with have told me they’ve learned from me, often because I was the first Deaf employee they had ever worked with. That stayed with me. When I researched my Design Ecologies project, I explored my niche within graphic design, and I was struck by just how few Deaf graphic designers there are. This made me reflect on how Deaf people design, specifically how we instinctively learn visually and are often highly attuned to subtle cues such as body language, gestures and movement. Our language – sign language – is a unique visual language that can provide a powerful foundation for creativity, inspiration and connection.
As a Deaf designer and researcher, my work questions able-bodied assumptions within communication and design systems and imagines more inclusive futures where accessibility is not an afterthought but a core design principle. My aim is to encourage non-disabled people to reflect on what we can do better to create a more accessible future, not only for disabled people, but for everyone to collaborate and participate.
How is the course supporting your career development?
UAL Online’s projects connect to politics, society, the environment and technology in ways that feel genuinely relevant. They have given me the chance to design and produce full campaigns – something I rarely get to do with real-life clients. The course is demanding, but it has given me real clarity about what I want to create. I am particularly looking forward to the Industry Focus unit, where I can explore my place in a global market and consider how my experience as a Deaf Asian designer can contribute to a broader vision for the industry.
Can you tell us about your favourite project from Unit one?
It’s hard to pick just one, but I really enjoyed researching how ChatGPT impacts cognitive capacity and how artificial intelligence uses emotional manipulation. My research revealed not only how rapidly technology is changing, but how AI is gradually reshaping daily life and human relationships – with more people accepting its role and even forming virtual connections. The project raised real ethical questions about navigating the boundary between the real world and the digital one, and reminded me that however sophisticated AI becomes, developing our own independent critical thinking remains essential. It was also a great opportunity to explore how graphic designers can create work that genuinely challenges and shifts people's thinking.
What’s something you can do now that you couldn’t do before starting the course?
I have developed a much stronger grounding in theory, methodology and systems thinking through my projects. Each unit so far has given me the chance to push my creative thinking and really examine visual communication in depth. I have learned how to bring my own lived experience into my concepts and articulate a disabled perspective within the graphic design industry, and I hope that can be an inspiration to future students too.
How do you balance studying online alongside your work and personal life?
I make sure to protect my sleep and carve out time to see friends, which always helps me come back to my studies with a fresh perspective. Keeping on top of weekly tasks is really important too – falling behind can quickly snowball and affect your project progress and deadlines.
What advice would you give to someone considering the course?
It can be tough at times, but the knowledge, skills and confidence you gain will show up in everything you do afterwards.
The message I want to share is this: believe in your ability, your disability does not define your limits.
